Political parties in a quandary over meeting delimitation panel

THE COMMISSION WILL BE VISITING J&K FROM JULY 6 TO JULY 9 AND MEETING MEMBERS OF ALL PROMINENT POLITICAL PARTIES WHICH HAD REPRESENTATION IN JAMMU, VALLEY

SRINAGAR: With the delimitation commission set to visit J&K next week, political parties have begun consultations whether to meet them or not, though they haven’t got any invitation from the commission yet.

The commission will be visiting J&K from July 6 to July 9 and meeting members of all prominent political parties which had representation in J&K, either in parliament, DDC and BDC, besides top government functionaries. Earlier, three MPS of the National Conference – Farooq Abdullah, Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi – had refused to attend the delimitation meeting. However, the NC seems to have changed its mind after it authorised party president Farooq Abdullah to take the call whether to participate in future meetings or not.

NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the party will decide as and when invitation for the participation in the delimitation meeting will be received. “So far, there isn’t any invitation,” he said. The Peoples Democratic

Party also expressed similar opinion about its participation in the meeting. “When such an invitation comes, the party will discuss and then take a call. Rest, our stand on the issue of delimitation is known as has been put on record many times,” PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said.

The Congress that had discussed the issue of delimitation in the all-party meeting is also contemplating to participate only if they get an invite. “It was the Congress which raised the issue of delimitation in the allparty meeting. Once PM and home minister assured that process will be on merit, the party agreed to its time-bound implementation,” J&K Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said.

People’s Conference chairperson Sajjad Lone said they wanted statehood of J&K back, but won’t make it a condition for participation in the polls, which could be a hint that the party will have no objection to the process.

Party spokesperson Adnan Ashraf said the leadership will discuss the issue once they get an invite.

Recently, Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari had said that they have been conveyed that commission will be meeting all parties that have representation in different forums. “Our party will definitely participate in the meetings,” he added.

The decision on the visit to J&K was taken during a recent meeting of the delimitation commission chaired by its chairperson Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai (retd) and chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra. This visit is being undertaken shortly after leaders of J&K mainstream political parties attended an all-party meet that was chaired by PM Modi.